Pacers F Hansbrough healthy, ready to go

Tyler Hansbrough entered the NBA with much to prove after the Pacers took him in the first round of the 2009 draft.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward was dominant at North Carolina, but he knew some critics questioned whether he had the size or the athletic ability to make it in the NBA.

Medical issues prevented him from showing much in Indiana.

He missed time early in the season with a shin injury. He returned and showed promise before an inner ear infection caused dizziness and made him sensitive to light. He played in only 29 games.

Now, he has been cleared for contact and is been practicing with the Pacers during training camp. He was his usual aggressive self during a scrimmage on Tuesday, throwing his body around, clogging passing lanes and even knocking a driving Danny Granger to the floor.

"I'm feeling great," he said. "I've made a lot of progress. I feel very optimistic."
"I feel like I'm not in the best shape in my life, but I'm not in the worst," he said. "I feel like I'm in good shape."
 
O'Brien said for Hansbrough to increase his minutes, he'll have to adjust his mindset.

"In college, he was a scorer and an attacker," he said. "He has to develop his game where he's also a facilitator — when he's not a a position to score, he has to be effective in his ability to pass the ball to his teammates."